- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly fired Joav Galant.
- This was announced by a spokesman for Netanyahu’s right-wing conservative Likud party.
- With his call to pause the controversial judicial reform, the defense minister met with a mixed response.
There have been protests for months against the reform, which is intended to curtail the influence of the Supreme Court. The plans of the right-wing religious government have also triggered considerable criticism internationally.
The previous defense minister surprisingly called on his own government to stop the reform and to engage in dialogue with critics on Saturday evening. Galant warned that otherwise national security could be severely damaged. He pointed out that numerous reservists did not show up for duty in protest against the reform.
Voting is imminent
Netanyahu’s coalition wants to implement core elements of the reform in the next few days. The vote on a law that should give government politicians more influence in the appointment of judges could take place as early as this Monday.
It is still unclear how critics within the government will vote. The coalition only has a majority of four seats in parliament. The government accuses the Supreme Court of excessive interference in political decisions. In the future, Parliament should be able to overrule decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority. Critics see the separation of powers in danger and warn of a state crisis.
